England players 'urinated on Oval pitch'

The ECB have been called on to investigate allegations that several England players urinated on the Oval pitch during their celebrations after the fifth Ashes Test.

At least two Australian journalists have said they saw a group of England players relieve themselves on the pitch just before midnight, with their team-mates cheering them on.

England coach Andy Flower refused to comment on the allegations when questioned on Monday morning, but Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has urged the England management to act.

Robertson said: "If it happened, it's not good behaviour."

Malcolm Conn was one of the Australian journalists to make the claim. He wrote in the Herald Sun: "While the centre of the ground was quite dark, lights were on in the grandstands with dozens of people still cleaning up after a late finish which saw the game go beyond 7.30pm.

"A number of players including Stuart Broad, Kevin Pietersen and Jimmy Anderson took it in turns urinating on the pitch to the cheers of their team-mates. This could be clearly seen from the outside overflow areas of the press box."

Matt Prior tweeted a picture on Sunday night of the England players drinking beer on the pitch after drawing the fifth Test - which sealed a 3-0 series victory - and described it as the "best moment of the Ashes!!".

After enduring a tricky start to his Manchester United career, perhaps it is fair that Marcos Rojo celebrated so boisterously as he watched his first professional club Estudiantes beat fierce rivals Gimnasia